The amazing world of martial arts and the many different styles that make this sport one of the most amazing sports on the planet. From karate to Taekwondo and krav maga to kickboxing which style best suits you and which is best for self defence.
The many different styles of martial arts and the people that practices them. No matter what size or shape you are there is a style of martial arts that will suit you.
Here is a list of some of the more popular ones / Karate / taekwondo / kickboxing / judo / jiu jitsu / BJJ / Kung fu also you must remember that some styles of martial arts are also broken down into different styles. Like for example Karate has a few different styles like shotokan karate is one and Wado-ryu Karate is another style of karate.
Before you choose what style of martial arts you want to join. First thing to do is to think what you want to get from it. Like if its just purely self defence a lot would recommend krav maga. If its competition have a look at the rules involved. Some have no contact and others would be semi contact, than if you want to go full contact there is plenty of styles to accommodate you there as well.
Once you have chosen your style you will find that it takes approx. 3 to 4 years to get your black belt. If some clubs tell you that you will get it in a year or less. It might be a good idea to look for a different club.
Martial arts can be one of the most self satisfying sports you will ever take part in. It pretty much has something for everything. From fitness to self defence to fighting competition that can be no contact right up to full contact. Or try your hand at the many different styles of kata & forms.
Karate is a martial art that originated in Okinawa with its history being able to be traced back to the 1300s. Brought to mainland Japan in the early 20th century, it has become one of the world’s most popular martial arts and has developed several different styles including Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, Kyokushinkai and Wado-Ryu.
Karate, unlike Japanese Judo is primarily a striking art and involves the use of punches, kicks, knee and elbow strikes and various other striking techniques. Some forms of karate may also include a small amount of throws, joint locks and grappling, though it is as an exciting striking art that Karate is known.
Karate is practiced all around the world by people young and old. Some famous people to have achieved Karate black belts include James Caan, Sean Connery, Forest Whitaker, Bear Grylls and Elvis Presley. Practitioners of Karate are known as Karateka and for those that want to compete, Karate has a big sporting element known as Kumite, with the World Karate Federation being the world’s largest organisation overseeing the sporting side of the martial art. The WKF hosts competitions across the world and is the only Karate governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
Object of Karate The object of Karate is to defeat your opponent by utilising punches, kicks and throws to score points. At the end of a Karate kumite, the competitor with the most points is declared the winner (or before the end if they reach and eight point lead over their opponent). As well as being a combative physical activity, Karate is highly skilled and tactical, and all competitors are required to have a high level of skill, experience, speed and dexterity to be successful in Karate competition.
Players & Equipment Competitors are placed into categories according to their weight and maybe their age in the case of junior competitions. All competitors in Karate kumite competitions are required to wear a traditional Karate suit known as a gi and this should be plain and without stripes or embroidery. Instead of wearing the belt colour that signifies their rank, one contestant wears a red belt and the other a blue belt to help distinguish them. Other prescribed pieces of equipment are:
A gum shield
Body protection (and extra chest protection for females)
Shin pads
Foot protectors
Groin guards can be worn but are not mandatory.
Scoring Scoring in Karate competitions is relatively simple. Scoring is limited to the following areas of the opponent’s body:
Head
Face
Neck
Chest
Abdomen
Side
Back
A score is awarded when one fighter performs a technique that conforms to the following criteria and the blow lands on a relevant scoring area of their opponent’s body:
Good form
Vigorous application
Good timing
Accurate distance
Awareness
Sporting attitude
Fighters can score one, two or three points for attacking techniques:
Ippon (three points) is awarded for:
A jodan kick (kick to upper level)
Any scoring technique performed on a fallen or thrown opponent
Waza-ari (two points) is awarded for:
Chudan (mid level) kicks
Yuko (one point) is awarded for:
Chudan or Jodan Tsuki (mid or upper level punch)
Jodan or Chudan Uchi (mid or upper level punch).
Winning the Match A Karate match can be won in a number of ways:
By having more points than your opponent at the end of the fight.
By extending a lead of eight points immediately ends the match
If you render your opponent unable to carry on
If your opponent is disqualified.
If the amount of points are equal at the end, then the referee and the three judges consult and decide a winner between them.
Rules of Karate Karate Kumite matches take place on a matted square of 8m x 8m with an additional 1m on all sides that is called the safety area. Once the referee and judges have taken their places, competitors should exchange bows. The fight starts when the referee shouts “SHOBU HAJIME!” Both fighters should attempt scoring techniques (punches, kicks and throws) on their opponent. These are classified as Yuko, Waza-ari and Ippon and are one, two and three points respectively.
If the referee deems a scoring technique may have been used, the referee shouts YAME and the contestants, judges and referee all resume their original positions.
The judges will then indicate their opinion by means of a signal and if a score is to be awarded, the referee identifies the contents and the area that they attacked and then awards them the relevant socire (Yuko, Waza-ari or Ippon) and then restarts the bout by shouting “TSUZUKETE HAJIME!”
If one competitor establishes a clear lead of eight points during a match, then the referee calls a halt to the bout and declares them the winner. If no competitor establishes a clear lead of eight points during the fight, then the fighter who has the most points is declared the winner.
In the event of the points being level, the referee and the judges will decide who is the winner of the bout. Fights can end earlier if one competitor is knocked down and is not in a position to carry on or if one fighter is disqualified.
First of all this is not a demo on how to get flexible for karate. I am afraid there is no easy way to do that, unless you are one of the people featured in the video below.
So what is this I can hear you say. Well this post shows a video mainly of people who have insane flexibility for the world of martial arts.
Karate Flexibility
So what is the point of this video you might say. Simple really it is to try and drive you mad. Pure and simple. So if you are a person who has trouble getting those high kicks in karate. Well you just got o be jealous of these people. What else can you say.
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So many to choose from so where do you begin. First thing you do is have a look at what your other club members are using. By this i mean the style and not the brand name. The style can be open faced or closed face. Than choose a material leather / dipped foam / artificial leather.
Also make sure you get one which is a snug fit. as loose head gear is no protection to you, and head gear that is to tight will just drive you made.
A medium sized head gear will fit most people of average size. But use the guide above to choose a better fit.
Make sure you also get one with plenty of adjustments in it as you plus the head gear can expand and contract in different temperatures.
Tips
Look for a Breathable, moisture absorbing, anti-microbial lining.
Check that the Ear sections are bound, safeguarding your ears
Select one that is Easy to put on and remove
Depending on the style of martial arts you do. You might be restricted on type of head gear that you can use. So before you buy check with your club is there a specific style you will need for training and competitions.
But if you are free to choose any style a good dipped foam is a good starting point. They are well priced and give good protection for semi contact sports.
Is this the greatest top 3 of Samurai Swords ever made. What do you think.
Before firearms ruled the world, the blade ruled the battlefield.
And, out of all the swords in history from the saber to the broadsword the katana from Japan is by far the most iconic.
Watch video above to see 3 of the greatest samurai swords ever made.
The Katana a sword that will be around for thousands of years to come.
Samurai Swords
An entire martial art was created just to learn how to appropriately use the samurai sword,and it was dubbed Kenjutsu or Kendo as it is know today.
The katana was not only a weapon of war but a mercy tool to assist in a ritualistic Japanese suicide called seppuku, which was carried out when a warrior brought shame to himself.
Looking to get a new karate suit. Well look no further here at Karate Suits Ireland we have teamed up with TotalCombat.net to bring some of the best karate suits on the market today to Ireland. With excellent delivery times and low cost. We have you covered here at Karate suits Ireland.
Not sure what style of Karate suit to choose. Here’s some tips to get you started.
If you are just starting out in karate its best not to spend to much on a suit. Just start of with a 7oz or 8oz suit which only cost between 18 euros and 30 euros.
These suits are good quality and will last you long enough until you decide if you are going to stick with Karate.
When you decide that you are going to stick with karate. Than its time to upgrade your suit.
There is a few different style suits to choose from.
A 14oz suit with a jap style jackets is good for kata. and a lighter suit with a euro cut jack is preferred by most for kumite.
Why not stay up to date with all the latest karate suits on out facebook page
Here at TotalCombat.net and Karate suits Ireland we only stock and sell online top quality suit.
We know a karate suit is going to take a lot of punishment.
So we test all suits from many different brands to make sure you get the best suit on the market today.
Plus if by some change you are not happy with your karate suit we are happy to refund you or exchange the suit for a different style.
So just because you buy online it dose not mean you are stuck with it. Shop safe with ssl security
